


Red Strings

by whoneedsapublisher



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Chin-in-hand kisses, F/F, Gift Fic, Red String of Fate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 07:57:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13142361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoneedsapublisher/pseuds/whoneedsapublisher
Summary: In the first year of high school, Chika starts to have a recurring dream about a red string tied to her finger. It's strange enough on its own, but it turns out not to be the only unusual dream in Aqours. Secret santa gift for riko-takami on tumblr.





	1. The Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [riko-takami](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=riko-takami).



> Thanks to hikari-hawkeye for beta-ing.

There was a dream that Chika kept having.

Some nights she dreamed of normal things, or didn’t dream at all, but more often than not, one dream kept coming back.

In the dream, she was standing on the beach alone. It was twilight, and there was no one around. It wasn’t just that she was alone on the beach, though. It was like the whole world was deserted. No far off lights from the city or boats in the bay. No sound but the sound of the sea. No sign of any people. Just her.

When she looked down at her hand, there was a loose red string tied around her pinkie. It was thin, like thread, and hung in the air, leading off to the north east. Chika couldn’t see where it lead, and no matter how far she followed it, she could never find the end. It just kept on going, further and further. And no matter how far she travelled, the string always stayed hanging the same height off the ground.

Was the other side running away as she ran forward? Was someone rolling it up into a spool?

She tried to sprint towards it with all her might. She tried to run in the opposite direction. No matter what she did, it never got any more slack or any more taut. She even tried to snap it once, but her hands just passed through it like it wasn’t there. And yet she could feel it tied around her finger, feel the faint tug from the weight of it, drawing her towards its source. And she always had the feeling, deep down, that it was important that she find the other end. More important than anything had ever been to her.

“...one time I even got all the way out of the city, and there was _still_ no end of the thread in sight!” Chika said, sprawling over the desk as she complained to You.

“Hmmm… I think I had a dream like that once…” You said, putting a finger to her chin.

“What did you do?!” Chika asked, springing up and leaning towards You.

You held up her hands and leaned back. “Sorry, Chika, I didn’t get any more answers than you did. I just remember I dreamed about about following a red string tied to my finger. I was at school, too, not the beach.”

“What could it mean, though?” Chika asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” You tilted her head. “It’s the red string of fate, pointing to your soulmate.”

“But that means…” Chika let out a loud groan and slumped back onto her desk. “My soulmate’s so far away! I’ll never find them! Am I going to be alone forever, You?!”

“Cheer up, Chika,” You said, patting her head. “Maybe your soulmate is closer than you think.”

“Maybe…” Chika said, unconvinced.

“It’s just a dream,” You said, her voice surprisingly firm. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“If you say so, You.”

* * *

All throughout the year, the dream kept coming back.

Eventually, Chika stopped trying to figure it out. It _was_ just a dream, after all. It didn’t have to make sense.

But no matter how rationally she thought about it when she was awake, as soon as she was asleep, she was filled with the desperate need to find the other end. It was strange; when she was awake, she couldn’t find anything to feel that kind of passion for.

Then she discovered μ’s.

Finally, she’d found what she was looking for. Something to devote herself to, that made her heart race and made her want to give it her all. School idols dominated her thoughts, and she completely forgot the dream. What did it matter if she found the other end? She wasn’t concerned about finding her soulmate, she was concerned about finding a composer. Then she was concerned about getting enough members. Then she was worried about the show in Tokyo, and so on.

Days turned into weeks, then weeks turned into months, and the dream didn’t return.

Chika didn’t even notice.

* * *

The next time she had the dream was the summer training camp with Aqours.

She’d just finished talking to Riko about the piano recital. She should have been happy. Riko had said that Aqours was more important to her. That should have been what Chika wanted. They were going to the prelims, together, and they’d get their chance to go to Love Live.

But she felt somehow unsatisfied as she went to sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, she was alone on the beach.

She looked around, confused, before she felt a tug on her finger. Glancing down, she saw the thread tied around her pinkie and it all came rushing back. The beach. The string. The empty world. It had been a long time, but here she was again in the same dream, with the thread pointing-

Her eyes widened.

It wasn’t pointing northeast anymore.

Her heart started pounding as she raised her finger, the thread leading behind her. She was almost afraid to look. What if the other end was still miles away, and she got her hopes up for nothing?

Taking a deep breath, she turned.

The string lead into her house.

Following after it, she walked up the entrance and hesitated. Was this some kind of trick? Suspicious, she circled the house, only to find that it came in the front door… and didn’t come out again.

Her heart pounded as she walked in.

Her soulmate was in her house?

Well, it couldn’t be her family. So did that mean…?

She followed the thread towards her room, where Aqours was sleeping, and for the first time, she heard a noise other than the sea or the wind.

Someone’s quiet breathing.

Her heart pounded. This was it. She was going to find out who her soul mate was. The thread lead under the door of the room. Chika reached out and grabbed the handle, turned the knob and-

Woke up.

* * *

“I was so cloooooose…” Chika moaned despondently, slumping into a chair.

When she had first woken up, she hadn’t had a chance to talk to You. The training camp was still ongoing, after all, and she’d been hustled out to attract customers as soon as she’d gotten out of bed, while You was already busy in the kitchen. The dream stayed on her mind all day as she waited for a chance to tell You about it.

Her soulmate had been in that room. She was sure of it. And she was also sure that the only people in that room had been her and the rest of Aqours. So that meant… her soulmate was in Aqours? But that didn’t make any sense. And hadn’t her soulmate been far, far away? Why were they suddenly so close?

As soon as Dia allowed her and You to take a break, Chika pulled You aside and eagerly explained the new development in the dream.

“So… it’s someone in Aqours?” You asked.

“It must be, but… that doesn’t make any sense,” Chika said, frowning.

“Why not?”

“Because we’re all girls!”

You bristled.

“So?” she asked, her voice defensive. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Eh?” Chika asked, blinking.

“What’s wrong with a girl having a soulmate who’s another girl?” You asked insistently.

“...I guess there’s nothing _wrong_ with it…” Chika said, hesitantly. “But… isn’t your soulmate supposed to be the one you fall in love with?”

“Is there something wrong with loving another girl?” You challenged.

Chika blinked at her.

You sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“Nevermind.” she said. “It’s just a dream anyway.”

“Yeah…” Chika still felt unsatisfied with that. _Was_ it just a dream?

“Chika.” You met Chika’s eye with a serious expression. “...You should think about what you’re planning to do if you manage to open that door tomorrow night. Once you know where the string leads… it might change how you think about people.”

With that final piece of advice, a smile returned to You’s face and she gave Chika a loose salute. “I need to get back to cooking. I’m counting on you to attract some customers, partner!”

Chika groaned again.

 


	2. Yohane

The great Yohane was a being with magnificent powers beyond the understanding of mere mortals. That much was obvious, of course. But in the mysterious realm of dreams, there lay many powerful beings that could hope to challenge even a fallen angel.

It seemed that one such being had set their eyes on doing just that. When the mighty Yohane was relaxing in the world of slumber, resting upon her throne, she noticed that someone had tied a string to her pinkie. Snapping her fingers, she sent out a burst of flame to destroy the red annoyance, but found that it was quite indestructible. Any effort to grab it or burn it failed, as if it wasn’t even there.

Surely, it must be a powerful master of illusions. Yohane rose from her seat and set off to following it. As soon as she took a step, however, her lavish palace vanished and she found herself at… the school that Yoshiko Tsushima attended.

“W-What foul magic is this?” she stuttered, whirling around and looking back and forth suspiciously. “Who dares to tear a mighty angel, fallen from grace, from her true home and thrust her once more upon the world of humans?!”

No one answered. The place seemed completely abandoned.

Furthermore, when she looked down at herself, she found that she was… Yoshiko. Her wings and angelic outfit were gone, replaced by her normal school outfit.

“To invade my dream and take complete control of it… is this the power of a god?!” she cried out, but still there was nothing. Silence.

“Very well! I’ll hunt you down by this foolish trail you’ve given me!” Yoshiko proclaimed, running after the string. She ran for quite a while, following the thread back towards the residential part of the town before she awoke to her alarm clock.

 _What a strange dream._ She thought. Normally, her dreams were where she could be Yohane without any interruption, and yet this time, some strange being had taken over and shown her a vision.

It was a sign! Clearly, she had to take note of the place she had been at the school and lay in ambush for whatever creature had set its plans against her!

* * *

Nursing her injured legs, Yoshiko cursed her luck.

Hanamaru, of all people?! She hadn’t seen her in years, and then she ran into her just when she was falling out a tree? She groaned and flopped her face down onto the bed.

And if that hadn’t been bad enough, she’d fallen into character when she was introducing herself, and then ran away…

“Why me…” she groaned. How was she supposed to go back to school _now_? Everyone in the class would think she was a complete weirdo! The senpais she’d fallen down in front of would think she was weird too. She’d almost managed to play it off if Hanamaru hadn’t been there, but when she saw Hanamaru, she completely panicked.

This school year was off to a good start.

And she still hadn’t found out what that dream meant.

* * *

She kept having the dream. Every time she did, she went back to the place in the school where it started and looked around for anything, any hint that tell her what was going on. Nothing. All that had happened there was that she met Chika, You, and Ruby for the first time, and made a fool of herself. Was that something to do with it?

Whenever she was in the dream, too, she always wanted to find the other end of the thread, but never seemed to be able to. And she couldn’t just grow wings and fly after it, even if she’d been dreaming about flying before the weird dream started.

Then, one day, the dream was a little different.

It started off the same. A red string appeared on her finger in another dream and suddenly she was in the school. But this time, she didn’t turn back into Yoshiko.

“Ah ha!” she cried triumphantly. “You’re slipping! Now I’ll track you down and punish you!”

As Yohane, travelling to the origin point was easy. With a powerful flap of her black wings, she took flight, soaring upwards to get an aerial view of the city. Once she was high up enough, she took note where the string was pointing. It seemed to be somewhere in Numazu, by the river.

“Ha! You can’t hide from me, fiend!” she exclaimed, and dived towards it. As she got closer and closer, a house came into view. The string seemed to lead to one of the windows. Feeling herself starting to come awake, she desperately flew faster, and just as she managed to get a glimpse of the patio on the house-

She woke up.

“Curse you demon…” Yoshiko growled, shaking her fist. “You’ve won this round…”

“Yoshiko, what are you mumbling about? Hurry up and get out of bed, it’s time for school.”

* * *

It seemed that whatever foe she faced had been spooked by the her near victory. Ever since the night she’d kept her wings in the dream with the thread, she hadn’t had the dream again. No red threads, no abandoned schools, and no houses in Numazu.

For a while, that was the end of it. Yoshiko’s dreams returned to normal, and she didn’t find a chance to get her revenge.

But then something odd happened.

Everything started out normally. Aqours was meeting up to check out the new costumes for their next PV. Despite Yoshiko’s suggestions, the theme was _not_ “demons and helpers”. But when You went to give them their new outfits, something unexpected happened.

“Oh, no!” You said, frantically digging through her bag. “I left the costumes at home.”

“Awww, I wanted to see them, too…” Chika said, dejected.

“Oh my!” Mari chirped in english. “How unusual for You to make a mistake like that!”

“Yes, you’re usually so organized…” Dia said, frowning. “Is something the matter?”

You laughed nervously in a way that was very familiar to Yoshiko. The laugh of someone with something to hide. “It’s no big deal, I’ve just been a little off my game recently…”

“Well, shall we go collect the costumes?” Kanan suggested. “You don’t live too far away, right You?”

“It’s not that far by bus,” You said. “Are you sure? I could just go back and get them myself.”

“It’s fine,” Riko said, smiling. “It’s not as if we were going to be doing anything while we waited for you, after all.”

And so, with that decided, the group piled onto a bus and headed towards Numazu. As they approached You’s stop, Yoshiko felt a sudden feeling of unease. The area seemed… familiar, somehow. She didn’t think she’d been here before, but it seemed so familiar despite that… such an omen could only be proof of a powerful wizard!

Keeping up her guard, she trailed along behind the rest of Aqours, glancing around suspiciously for any loyal familiars or deadly chimeras that might come bursting from an alleyway to attack her. If she was in the territory of a wizard, who knew what dangers could lurk in every shadow?!

“Here we are,” You said, and Yoshiko glanced over at the house she indicated.

And froze in her tracks.

It was the house she’d flown towards in her dream.

“Ah! The den of a fiend!” she cried out, and Aqours looked at her quizzically.

Striking a pose, Yoshiko continued. “This place… it contains a powerful villain, one who possesses foul magic of such power that it can threaten even the fallen angel Yohane…”

“Yoshiko-” You started.

“Yohane!” Yoshiko cried indignantly.

“-there’s no one here except me my and my parents.”

Yoshiko glared at her suspiciously. “Maybe your-”

You’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“-W-Well maybe you just don’t know they’re there! They could be concealing their presence!” Yoshiko finished, turning away from You’s gaze.

“I think it’ll be fine,” You said, turning back to her house. The rest of Aqours followed her, with Yoshiko trailing behind cautiously.

Fine, they could all ignore her advice. When their dreams were invaded by a dangerous creature, they’d come crawling back with apologies for the great Yohane to save them!

* * *

In the end, Yoshiko was unable to find any sign of You or her parents being powerful demons or any demons hiding in their house. The dream still hadn’t returned, either. So perhaps she’d scared the demon out of the city. That only made sense, right? Who wouldn’t flee when a fallen angel had sniffed out the dark crevice they tried to hide in?

And so, she went into the training camp with a feeling of well deserved pride. She had defeated her mightiest foe- what challenge could mere chores pose?!

A day later, she had reconsidered that view. Wiping spilled drinks off of her outfit yet again, she overheard You speaking to Chika.

“...You should think about what you’re planning to do if you manage to open that door tomorrow night.”

A door?

“Once you know where the string leads… it might change how you think about people.”

Yoshiko’s heart pounded.

A string?! Had she been wrong? Had the demon just moved on to easier prey? Of course, it all made sense! If you couldn’t defeat a general, you had to take out their lieutenants! The villain must be trying to erase her little demons before she struck at Yohane again!

She had to act. Chika was helpless against creatures of the night. But she couldn’t tell her directly! Who knew what her foe could see when their fiendish tether was on?

When You came back towards the kitchen, Yoshiko sidled up to her. “You. I need to talk to you after work,” she hissed, striking a casual pose so that no one watching would suspect anything. “Meet me on the beach.”

With that, she turned on her heel and scuttled away before anyone could notice. Stealth was only one of Yohane’s many talents, of course.

* * *

“What did you need to talk about, Yoshiko?” You asked.

She had met with Yoshiko after the girl had requested her to in the most conspicuous way You had ever seen. Not that it was particularly shocking. She was conspicuous all the time. It was kind of cute, honestly. You couldn’t say she was a big fan of the whole Yohane delusion, but as a lover of uniforms she could appreciate Yoshiko’s devotion to costumes, and her straightforward dramatic acts were endearing.

But what had she wanted to talk to You about? You normally wasn’t the one who ended up being involved in her dramatic acts. Usually it was Ruby, who was willing to be a “little demon” or Hanamaru, who often popped up to reign Yoshiko in. You rarely got involved in the various scenes that Yoshiko seemed fond of staging, but Yoshiko was undoubtedly “in-character” right now.

“You! I heard you and Chika talking. Is it true that she’s dreaming of a red string?”

You wasn’t entirely sure what she’d expected, but it _certainly_ hadn’t been that. Her heart sped up. What if she’d been wrong about who Chika’s string was attached to? She had no idea where Yoshiko had been a year ago. Maybe she had been far enough away to fit Chika’s dream.

No. It was just a dream. She wouldn’t accept that it meant anything. It didn’t matter if Yoshiko fit the dream, because it wasn’t really her soulmate.

“Yeah. She had dreams about being on a beach with a red thread tied to her finger a lot back in first year,” You said casually. “She had it again recently, and it was different, so she was getting excited about it.”

Yohane recoiled dramatically in horror. “Then it’s as I feared…” she said in a hushed voice. “The demon that haunted my dreams has moved on to my helpless little demons!”

What.

“...Demon?” You asked.

“Yes! One day, when I was relaxing in the world of dreams, I found myself suddenly stripped of all my powers of a fallen angel and once more cast upon the earth, in the school, with a red thread tied around my pinkie. What else could it be but a demon, tethering me to him as part of some evil plan?”

You laughed. “Have you really never heard of the red string of fate?”

Yoshiko paused for a moment. “...Red string of fate,” she repeated, hesitantly.

“Yeah, where soulmates are tied together by a red string attached to their pinkies. Chika was dreaming about her string leading way off into the north, but it got closer in her dream recently.”

“...S-Soulmates?”

Yoshiko made a little noise that was somewhere between a strangled gasp and a tiny shriek as her face started to turn bright red. Before You could ask what was wrong, she suddenly dashed away, fleeing back towards the inn with surprising speed.

“..Huh.” Well, that had been… strange. Still, her worries were abated for now. If Yohane had been in the school in her dream, she couldn’t have been the one that Chika’s string lead to.

Not that it mattered. It was just a dream. It didn’t mean anything.

Still, You couldn’t help but think, Yoshiko was certainly cute when she was blushing like that. She wondered if she could convince her to dress up in a sailor’s uniform...

 


	3. Evolving Feelings

Chika felt uneasy as Aqours lay down to go to sleep. The second day of their training camp had been as busy as the first, but she couldn’t quite get into it. The whole day, she’d been worried about Riko. Her dream had been a distraction at first, but even her puzzling over You’s warning hadn’t been enough to stop her worrying about the piano recital.

When she eventually got to sleep, it wasn’t for long.

She was dreaming again. She wasn’t on the beach this time. She was in an audience. Riko was on stage in a cute dress, sitting at a piano. She reached out to start playing, and then Chika saw herself burst out from backstage, grabbing Riko by the arm.

“Come on, come on!” she called, and dragged Riko off the stage, as the crowd murmured in confusion. Riko hesitantly looked back at her piano, then let Chika drag her away.

Chika’s eyes opened, and her mind was made up.

“Riko~”

“What..?”

“I’ve got a favour to ask.”

* * *

And so Chika dragged Riko all the way out to the school to her her play. And then she told her to go and play in the competition.

She knew it was selfish of her. Aqours needed to pass this prelim, and they stood the best chance of doing it if all of them were there. There would be other piano competitions. That could wait, and saving the school couldn’t. She should be convincing Riko to stay and do her best for Aqours.

But she didn’t want Riko to do what was best for Aqours. She wanted Riko to do what was best for Riko. And so she told her to go. And told her they’d all be waiting for her.

And then Riko had hugged her.

“You’re such a weirdo…” Riko said, her voice wavering. Chika swallowed and wrapped her arms around her. It felt… different. She and You had hugged plenty, of course. This didn’t… it didn’t feel the same. She didn’t know why. It felt… more than that. Having Riko held close made her heart beat in her chest so hard it ached.

Riko pulled back and held her hands up between the two of them, smiling. Chika smiled back. She was still unsure, but seeing Riko smile at her so happily, she couldn’t feel anything but overjoyed that she’d done what was right for the girl in front of her.

“I love you,” Riko said, her smile still radiant.

Chika didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know what Riko meant anymore. “I love you too, Riko,” she managed. She didn’t know what she meant either.

They stayed like that, holding hands and smiling, for a few moments, before Riko yawned. “...today at the shop is going to be a nightmare,” she said, sighing. “I wish you’d let me sleep a little longer before you woke me up for this.”

“Ehehe…” Chika said sheepishly, suppressing a yawn of her own. “We still can get a few hours of sleep, probably…”

It was less than an hour later when Dia woke them up.

* * *

Chika and Riko didn’t get a moment alone together for a while. Between practice and the training camp, they were busy or exhausted most of the time. Once or twice, when Riko caught her eye, she gave Chika an especially bright smile that made her heartbeat speed up.

But that was it. They didn’t get a real chance to talk. About what that night meant. About what Chika was feeling. Had it even meant anything to Riko? What did it even mean to _Chika_? She wanted to ask Riko. She wanted to understand why her heart was acting like it was.

But she didn’t get to. And now Riko was leaving for Tokyo. She was already turning to leave. Going through the barriers. In just moments, she’d be gone.

“Riko!” she called out.

She wanted to ask her what she meant by ‘I love you’. She wanted to tell her that she was special and Chika didn’t know why. She wanted to say that she didn’t want her to leave, even though she wanted her to go to the competition.

But she couldn’t say any of it. So she just tried to make sure that Riko was coming back.

“Next time, on the next stage, let’s all sing together!” _Please, come back. Please let there be a next time._

Riko smiled. “Of course!” she called back.

Then she was gone.

Aqours started to trundle away, chatting together and preparing for the practice, but Chika didn’t move, numbly watching the terminal where Riko had been.

It hurt. She didn’t like it. Her heart felt bad.

“Chika?” You gently touched her shoulder.

“Ah! Haha, sorry, I spaced out for a minute!” Chika said, trying to be cheerful. “Let’s go! We have to make sure we’ve made it into Love Live by the time Riko comes back, right?”

You smiled. “Right!”

* * *

It was just a dream.

It didn’t meant that Chika and R- and whoever was on the other side of the string were fated to be.

And she didn’t know who it was on the other side. She had a _guess_ , of course, but it could be almost anyone in Aqours! She didn’t know where most of them had been last year.

Well, there were some people it couldn’t be. Mari had been in the west, so it couldn’t be Mari. It couldn’t be Kanan.

It couldn’t be You.

“It’s just a dream.” You said it out loud, firmly, hoping that would make it feel more real.

It didn’t.

You knew why. It was because the thread wasn’t the only thing connecting Chika and Riko anymore. There were bonds there that didn’t come from a dream.

It was obvious. The northeast? That was where _Tokyo_ was. Who was in Tokyo a year ago, and in Chika’s bedroom the night of the training camp? Who was the one that Chika was used to dancing with? Who was the one that Chika snuck out in the middle of the night with?

“You really like Chika, don’t you?”

Mari’s words echoed in her head. She’d told her to be honest with Chika.

Like it was that easy.

She sighed.

“I couldn’t say anything… Even if I’m being honest, I don’t know what to say.”

What, was she going to pin her against a wall and demand that she pick between her and Riko?

“ _Chika! Who do you care about more, me or Riko? Stop messing around!”_

“...No, that’s not it.” You blushed. What was she even imagining? What kind of ridiculous manga was she taking inspiration from?

Meeting her under a tree to confess?

“ _Chika… you don’t really like me, do you?”_

Oh god, she could just _imagine_ Chika’s confused reaction.

“That’s not it either! Then it’s…”

“ _I, You Watanabe, am full speed ahead for you, Chika! Aye aye!”_

No, what?! What kind of confession would that be? And why was she was dressed in a mascot costume?!

She groaned and buried her head in her arms. “Ahhh! What am I thinking?!”

Why couldn’t she just confess normally? Why was it that whenever she tried to think of it, her mind spiralled off into ridiculous drama?

Her phone rang.

...Riko.

You stared at the display for a moment, debating ignoring it. Did she really want to talk to Riko, right now?

Did Riko really deserve to be ignored just because You was a sore loser?

“Hello? No, it’s fine. Is something up?”

“Yeah. I heard you were taking my spot for the song.”

‘Taking’. What an inappropriate word. As if You owned the spot now. As if she wasn’t filling in when the spot had ‘Riko’ written all of it.

“Sorry, I’m being kind of selfish.” Riko continued.

“No, not at all.” It wasn’t Riko that was being selfish. Riko would have chosen to stay with Aqours. Chika had pressed her to follow her own path.

“Don’t worry about me. Just do whatever’s easiest for you two.”

Nothing about this was easy.

“But... I already...”

“Don’t force yourself to adjust,” Riko said. “ You have your own unique way of moving.”

If You didn’t know better, she’d almost feel like Riko was taunting her. You had her own unique way of moving. It wasn’t Riko’s way. It wasn’t the way that Chika moved to match.

“I dunno…” You said, unhappily.

“I’m sure Chika thinks so too.”

“I doubt it…”

Chika didn’t even think of that. Chika probably didn’t even notice. You wasn’t the one her eyes were on.

“Huh?”

“I think you’re the best one to be by Chika’s side. After all…”

You’re her soulmate. You’re the one she’s dreaming about.

“...She looks so happy when she’s with you. And she always says she’s doing her best for you.” You wished it was a lie she told to cover up the dream. But it wasn’t. That was what hurt the most.

“So that’s how you see it,” Riko said.

You could feel the tears in her eyes. She wiped them away, hoping Riko couldn’t hear her voice waver.

“Chika was talking about it before,” Riko was saying.

“Huh?”

* * *

“Okay. See ya.”

You stared at her phone in disbelief, trying to process everything she’d heard. Chika had felt bad about turning down her invitations? Chika had wanted to be a school idol _with her_ , not just a school idol? She’d been determined to succeed… because of You?

“You!”

Was that… Chika’s voice?

You turned to glance in the direction of the voice. Was she hearing things?

“Yooooou!”

You ran to the edge of her balcony. It _was_ Chika! But.. why? How?

“Chika! What are you…?”

“I thought we could practice!”

Chika was breathing heavily, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath as she spread out her arms.

“Practice…?”

“Yeah! I thought about it more, and I think you should use your own steps in the dance! You don’t have to adjust! We’ll just start over from the beginning!”

She was clasping her hands over her chest now.

“Just the two of us!”

 _Just the two of us._ How many times had she imagined Chika saying those words? How many times had she wished to hear those words, ever since Aqours became more than just her and Chika?

It was stupid. Restarting all their progress now, just to satisfy You’s selfish wish? Risking their performance at Love Live?

It was the same shamelessly selfish proposition that Chika had offered to Riko.

You turned and dashed into her house, ignoring Chika’s startled call. She ran down the stairs, ignoring the tears falling freely now. When she reached the front door, Chika was already on the other side.

Staying turned away from her to hide her tears, You awkwardly reached out to grasp for Chika, and her hand met a soaked shirt.

“You’re covered in sweat. What happened?”

“There aren’t any more buses, and my sister said she was busy…”

Chika sounded so carefree. So nonchalant about it. She must have biked the whole way here. In the middle of the night. Just for this.

“You seem like you’ve been kind of concerned lately, so I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing.”

You felt herself starting to cry again.

She’d been so afraid that she was going to lose Chika entirely. That once Chika found her soulmate, and it wasn’t You, that she’d lose her friend altogether.

Chika didn’t love her the way that You would have liked. That was still true. But Chika did love her as a friend. She wouldn’t abandon her.

“I’m such an idiot.”

How could she have ever thought otherwise? She knew Chika was devoted to the things she cared about. She knew that Chika was loyal, and kind, and loving. How could she ever have thought that Chika would leave her all alone?

“Stupid You…” You murmured

“Stupid You?” Chika repeated, confused.

You tackled her and hugged her, holding her close.

So, maybe this was the end of her first love.

But that was okay.

She still had her friend, the most important friend in the world to her. She wasn’t going to lose Chika. As she cried on her shoulder, she held that fact close to her heart. And that kept it from breaking.

* * *

Chika still didn’t get a chance to talk to Riko.

Aqours came out to Tokyo to meet with Riko, and still, they didn’t get a chance to talk. The rest of Aqours was always there. Chika had to just smile and act like normal and pretend that nothing had changed. That she wasn’t confused and conflicted.

Granted, it wasn’t very hard. No matter how jumbled up she felt, she was happy to see Riko again. Happy to be in Tokyo and exploring landmarks related to μs. It was all so exciting, and having Riko with her made her feel warm inside.

But she wanted to talk to her. She wanted a chance to be alone with her.

It didn’t come in Tokyo.

It didn’t come on the train back.

It didn’t come after on the beach.

But when Aqours had all said their goodbyes and headed home, her chance came.

* * *

Chika waited until after everyone in the house had settled down and all of Aqours was long gone before she sent the text.

_Meet me on the beach._

She stood there, watching the sea as she waited, and found herself absently rubbing her pinkie.

It felt like her dream.

The beach was abandoned, in the darkness of twilight.If she strained her ears, she could hear the faint noise of distant people, but otherwise, it was as silent as in her dream.

Her heart beat faster. Even though she wasn’t in the dream, she wanted to know who was on the other side of that string. She wanted to find her soulmate.

“Chika? Why did you want to meet me here?”

Riko was behind her.

She took a deep breath. She turned to face Riko with a determined look on her face. She was going to find out what she felt, and what Riko felt, and what they had between them.

“What did you mean when you said you loved me?”

Riko flushed red. “W-What?”

“I don’t understand what you meant. I don’t understand what _I_ meant.” Chika knew she sounded frustrated. She hoped Riko didn’t think she was mad at her. “I don’t know what I’m feeling, Riko.”

Riko fidgeted. “Well… I mean… I meant…” she mumbled, looking away.

Chika took her hands and lifted them up, and Riko glanced back and met her eyes. “You’re important to me, Riko,” she said, smiling. “You mean more to me than anyone in the world. Even the rest of Aqours. Even You. Even my family. I want to…” she paused. “I can say ‘I love you’, and I mean it. But I can’t figure out what I mean.”

Riko laughed. “You’re such a weirdo,” she said, with tears at the corners of her eyes. “I love you, Chika. Not as a friend. I’m _in_ love with you.”

Chika looked at her blankly.

 _In_ love with her?

You’s words from back when she’d last had her dream ran through her head.

_Is there something wrong with loving another girl?_

Was there? Chika didn’t _think_ there was. She hadn’t considered the idea, but... Riko meant more than _anyone_ to her. Wasn’t that what Mom had told her love was? When you met someone who you cared about so much that you couldn’t imagine living without them?

“...I’m in love with you too,” Chika said, a smile spreading across her face. She grabbed Riko suddenly, pulling her close. “I love you!”

Riko turned red. “C-Chika-”

“I love you! I love you, Riko!”

Riko was making embarrassed noises, but Chika didn’t care. She’d finally figured out what she felt. And Riko felt the same way.

 


	4. Aftermath

It was obvious that something had changed between them. You could see it as soon as they showed up to practice. It wasn’t anything overt- they weren’t holding hands or cuddling in the corner just yet. But the glances they traded were no longer furtive, curious peeks. Instead they were satisfied reaffirmation, the look of someone glancing over to make sure nothing had changed.

Even knowing it was coming, it hurt a little bit. But not as much as she’d expected.

She thought for sure she’d be utterly heartbroken. Chika was her first love, after all. Weren’t you supposed to run crying to your room and stay in bed for a week when you failed in love? Or cut off most of your hair?

You didn’t find herself wanting to do either of those things. She mostly just didn’t want to be around Chika or Riko at the moment. She didn’t want Chika telling her what happened, and if they were keeping it secret from her, she didn’t want to have to pretend that she didn’t notice.

So she avoided the two of them during practice, and after practice, and tried to talk to the other members of Aqours.

That was when she noticed that she wasn’t the only one avoiding someone.

She hadn’t spoken to Yoshiko much since she had run away from their meeting on the beach, but she hadn’t thought anything of it. Her and Yoshiko didn’t have anything in particular to talk about, after all. It wasn’t _that_ strange that they hadn’t had much of a conversation in a little while.

But now, You realized, it was because Yoshiko was actively avoiding her. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed earlier, with how allergic to subtlety Yoshiko was. The only question was, had she done something to upset Yoshiko? Or was this just part of one of Yoshiko’s fantasies?

You got the answer when she went back to her locker. Tucked into it was an ornate envelope with “You Watanabe” written on it in fancy looking script. Inside the envelope was a note.

_My dearest You,_

_Heaven may punish me for daring to send this letter, but I cannot hold myself back. I have been captivated by you. You are a beauty that shines like a star even at the apex of the sun. Your elegance is even greater than that of an angel or even a goddess. Your many talents surpass even the mastery granted by the very peak of the dark arts. Your kindness is so depthless that I believe that you could forgive an angel that even God could not. Even the dark heart of a fallen angel couldn’t help but to be moved by the sight of you._

_Alas, I cannot bring myself to reveal to you who I am. I am a fallen star in a land of darkness, and it would shame me to show myself before one such as bright as you._

_Know that I care for you, and wish that I could invite you to join me, fallen though I may be._

_Signed,_

_Your secret admirer_

You re-read the letter and then peeked behind her to see if anyone was watching.

More specifically, if Yoshiko was watching.

Seeing no sign of the girl, she let herself giggle a little. Did she _really_ think that letter was in any way anonymous? As if anyone talked like that except her. Honestly, it was better than a signature- You was pretty sure no one else would even be able to fake this as a joke.

Still, as funny as it was, she couldn’t help but scan over it again, feeling her cheeks get hot. She’d never realized that Yoshiko felt that way about her. So many compliments… did Yoshiko really think she was that beautiful?

Why did it matter?

What was she even thinking? It was nice, but… she’d only just recently had her heart broken by Chika. Was she really ready to move on? Let alone to someone else in Aqours? No, that was a recipe for trouble.

You sighed. Now she had to pretend that she didn’t know who sent the letter as well as pretending she didn’t know about Riko and Chika. She wished she had someone to talk to about all this.

She paused.

Actually, maybe she did.

* * *

“You said you wanted to talk to me about something?” Mari said, patting the seat next to her on the bench. “Go ahead, You. I’m always happy to help my cute junior.”

You sighed. She was hesitant to even say anything, but Mari had been helpful before when she was worried about Chika’s feelings.

“Things… didn’t work out with Chika,” she started, carefully. “She’s… Well, it isn’t going to happen.”

Mari raised an eyebrow. “You’re giving up on her?”

“It’s not my place to say why, but… she wouldn’t say yes if I confessed. I’ve accepted that.”

Mari sighed, and looked out over the roof with a wistful look in her eyes. “The only thing worse than being turned down is losing before you even get up the courage to confess.”

She spoke as if she was familiar with it.

“Well, that’s not the problem, exactly,” You said. “The problem is, um… someone else sent me a letter about liking me.”

Mari’s eyes lit up and she leaned closer. “Ooh, how exciting! You’re very popular, aren’t you?”

You flushed. “I… know who sent it, but I’m not sure what I should do. I only really gave up on Chika a week or so ago…”

Mari pondered the situation. “Hmmm…”

Finally, she smiled at You.

“Does it matter?”

You blinked. “What?”

“No one knew about this except us, right?” Mari said. “And there wasn’t any actual romantic relationship, right? So, why do you need to waste time to mourn it? If you feel something, why not move on to that?”

“Is it really that simple? What if-”

“Don’t worry!” Mari chirped in English. “Let it go where it’s going to go! Don’t give up on something that could work because you’re busy being sad about something else that didn’t!”

You furrowed her brow. Was she really just overthinking it?

How did she really feel about Yoshiko, anyway?

* * *

It had been Riko’s idea not to tell the rest of Aqours.

Chika had wanted to run to tell You as soon as it happened, but Riko was worried that it might cause strife in the group.

“Just until Love Live, at least,” she’d pleaded, and Chika had reluctantly agreed.

She didn’t like hiding things from Aqours much, and she especially didn’t like having to pretend her and Riko were the same as before. Her feelings were still new and confusing, and now she had to try and force them down and ignore them. She wanted to get closer to Riko, to do everything her heart was telling her to, but she had to hold it back, making her feelings only more confused.

It was hard on her, and judging from the looks Riko threw her, it wasn’t easy for Riko either.

So why did they have to hide, anyway? Wouldn’t their friends be happy that they got together?

“Riko, are you sure we can’t tell them?” Chika whispered to her, as they sat side by side after a dance routine.

“Not yet, Chika. I don’t want us to risk our spot at Love Live if…” Riko paused. “...If anyone reacts badly.”

“Why would anyone react badly? What’s wrong with it?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it, but…” Riko shifted uncomfortable. “...What if someone else liked you? Wouldn’t they be upset?”

Chika tilted her head. “Why wouldn’t they have said something?”

Riko sighed.

“...Not everyone ends up confessing when they have feelings, you know.” She smiled. “I almost didn’t. But you were so wonderful that night, I couldn’t hold it back anymore.”

Chika grinned, turning a little red. She leaned closer, but Riko jerked away. “N-Not so close!” she hissed nervously, looking around. “It’s suspicious.”

Chika pouted.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you later! We can go to my house after practice,” Riko whispered. “Please just act normal for now.”

Chika sighed and leaned back, flopping onto her back. This was frustrating. Now she just wanted practice to be over. Shouldn’t she want to be practicing? Love Live was coming up soon. She really wanted them to do well. The school needed them! Just like with μs! She had to focus on that, and not think about Riko.

It was very hard.

* * *

“Fufufu. Well, well. For what purpose have you summoned the fallen angel Yohane to this location? Have you finally decided to throw away your gods and fall with me? Are you ready to sign the infernal contract and become a little demon?”

It really was amazing how she could come up with all this, You thought, as Yoshiko posed dramatically. It really was a gift.

“I got your letter.”

Yoshiko froze on the spot. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied. Badly.

“Are you sure? Maybe I should go, then,” You teased.

“W-Wait! The… the great and powerful Yohane sends many letters! Perhaps, she, um, forgot one. What letter are you talking about?”

“If you send this kind of letter to a lot of people, you’re a lot sleazier than I thought you were, Yoshiko…”

“Yohane!” Yoshiko yelped. “And I didn’t send it to anyone else!”

“So it _was_ you who sent the letter, then?”

Yosiko spluttered for a moment, turning redder and redder.

“So…” You’s smile faded and she looked seriously at Yoshiko. “...Were you serious, or was it just part of your act?”

Yoshiko stiffened.

“I wouldn’t do something like that,” she said, quietly. “I wouldn’t… play with people’s hearts. Even as Yohane.”

She recovered enough of her act to pose a little and add “There are some dark depths that even a fallen angel has not fallen far enough to breach.”

“Then… you meant it?” You wasn’t sure what her voice sounded like right now. Could Yoshiko hear her hesitation? Her fear that this was going to turn out badly? Could she detect a twinge of hope, that maybe Yoshiko had been serious?

Could she hear how fast You’s heart was beating?

After her talk with Mari, You had stepped back to consider her situation.

She’d been focused on Chika for… a long time. They were best friends. They spent most of their free time together, even when You started getting busier with clubs. Chika would always come to watch and cheer for her, and it always made You want to try harder.

She wasn’t sure when it started being more than friendship. But that was when things had started to go wrong.

It became more and more frustrating when Chika didn’t want to join her in her clubs. She began to worry that her ability to pick things up quickly was driving them apart. Was Chika feeling left out? Did she feel like You was leaving her behind?

Then, when she’d finally found something they could do together, where they shared a passion, suddenly there were so many more people all around her, and she felt like Chika was being stolen away.

And then, her love ended before she even confessed.

But she still had her friend. And once she pulled away from the thoughts that had been pulling her down, she started to notice things she hadn’t noticed before.

Like how attractive Yoshiko was.

You hadn’t really ever _thought_ about it before. She was aware that a lot of the people in Aqours were good looking, of course, and she worked on making outfits to bring that out, but she’d never really thought about it. She was focused on Chika. But Yoshiko really was a beauty.

She had a kind heart, as well. As much as she talked about being a fallen angel, she was way too nice for the role she’d picked. And truthfully, she was talented at the odd role she’d picked. As a fellow costume maker, You could recognise the effort and skill that went into the outfits she put together for Yohane, and she seemed to be able to write an entire soliloquy at the drop of a hat.

So when she read that letter, where Yoshiko talked about how beautiful and wonderful _she_ was, well… it made her heart flutter in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long time. In a way that made her question what her feelings for Chika had even really been.

Her instinct was to back away, to think it over and wait. But how had that worked out before? Had thinking and worked out with Chika? Maybe she should just take Mari’s advice to heart.

Did she want to be regretting what she hadn’t done two years from now?

“Will you go out with me, Yoshiko?”

“It’s Yoha- eh?” Yoshiko paused mid correction, thrown off her stride.

You couldn’t blame her. She wasn’t even sure herself if she was going to say it when she opened her mouth. It must have come as even more of a surprise to Yoshiko.

“If you weren’t joking about what you said… does that mean you’ll go out with me?”

No, no. She wasn’t doing this right. She had to confess properly.

You took a deep breath. “I like you, Yos- Yohane,” she said. “Please go out with me.”

Yoshiko seemed frozen in place, turning redder and redder.

“...Yoshiko?” You asked.

“I-” Yoshiko stuttered. “Y-Yes.”

“You will go out with me?” You asked, barely believing it. She felt a warmth spread throughout her and couldn’t hold back a goofy grin.

Yoshiko didn’t say anything, but she managed to nod.

You learned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “Please take good care of me,” she said, blushing.

Yoshiko let out a shriek and bolted.

“Oops,” You mumbled, watching her flee. “Maybe that was a little forward...”

* * *

That evening, You had a dream.

She was at the school, in the same twilight she remembered Chika describing. There was no one around, either. And on the end of her pinkie… was a red thread, stretching off into the distance.

She was suddenly seized by a desperate urge to find the other end, but at the same time… she was almost afraid of what she might find. Would Yoshiko be waiting at the end of the string?

Or would Chika be there?

 


	5. The Bonds of Fate

You woke up  from the dream before even reaching the outside of the school grounds.

She felt sick to her stomach. It was the same dream Chika had been having, right? What kind of cruel joke would it be to find out that she had a connection with Chika _now_? Would she even want that anymore? The thought nagged at her. What _would_ she do if she suddenly had a chance with Chika? What if she’d been wrong about her and Riko, and Chika confessed to her? Would she turn her down?

Her mind filled with guilt and confusion, she didn’t notice her phone was ringing until the second time it started up.

“Hello?”

“Ah! About t-” Yoshiko paused and cleared her throat. “Ahem, I mean, hello, little demon. Would you like to descend with Yohane on this cursed day? The ceremony will be held when the clock of the underworld strikes its thirteenth chime, at the den of sorcery known as… Shougetsu.”

Shougetsu…? The cafe?

“Are you asking me on a da-”

“I’ll see you there!” Yoshiko squeaked quickly, and then the line went dead.

You started at the phone in her hand with mixed feelings.

But whatever the truth of her feelings, she definitely wanted to see Yoshiko right now. She just had to trust in what she felt.

* * *

Riko took a deep breath, trying to stop from panicking. It was okay. It was all fine. No one was in the house but her, and her girlfriend was coming over. There was nothing to be worried about.

_Except everything._

Riko took another deep breath and nearly jumped five feet into the air when the doorbell rang.

Composing herself, she ran downstairs and opened the door.

“Hello, Chik- eep!” Her greeting was cut off when Chika practically tackled her, wrapping her arms around her waist and squeezing stubbornly.

“Ahhh I wanted to do that all practice,” she said, sighing in relief and snuggling into Riko’s stomach.

“C-Chika!” Riko protested, trying to wriggle away. “The door…”

“Huh?” Chika looked up and glanced behind her. Reluctantly, she let go to close the door behind her, and Riko took the chance to back up a couple of steps, her heart pounding. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be close to Chika but… she wasn’t sure if she could take it, just yet.

Chika considered herself normal and plain, but Riko knew better. She was like a burning sun, always overflowing with so much energy that it radiated off her. Riko was sure that if anyone other than Chika was leading them, she’d never be able to go half as long at practice. Chika’s determination and drive came off her in waves, soothing Riko’s exhaustion and encouraging her to keep trying, to do that step one more time.

But like any sun, she was too hot to touch. Her passion was soothing when Riko basked in it at her side, while its full force was aimed at being an idol, but when it turned on her directly, she felt like she might be burned up by its intensity. Just holding her hands make Riko feel warmth all throughout her body. If Chika was going to be aggressively physical, Riko was afraid she might melt.

As she took another step backwards, Chika turned from the door.

“Riko,” she said, and her voice was layered in affection, frustration, and longing, mixed together in a confusing mess. “We’re alone now.”

“Y-Yeah,” Riko said, inching back further from the intense look in Chika’s eyes. Her back pressed against the wall of the hallway.

“I want…” Chika looked frustrated, grasping at something she couldn’t quite understand. “I want to… something. With you.”

She frowned, her brow furring. “I don’t know what. None of it is… it’s all weird to me. I don’t know what these feelings are, but I look at you, and I feel like I’m burning up, and I want to… hold onto you. Or something.”

Riko’s heart sped up. Her mouth felt too dry to speak. She took another steadying breath, and managed. “I… I want to kiss you.”

Chika’s stare drilled into her.

“I don’t know for sure what your feelings are,” Riko said, pulling herself up into a confident stance. “But I know what mine are. I love you, Chika. I want to be close to you, and hold you, and kiss you. Maybe that’s what you want too.”

The worry disappeared from Chika’s face in an instant, replaced by a broad smile. “Oh,” she said simply, walking closer to Riko. “That makes sense.”

She stopped a few inches away from Riko and leaned forward, and Riko’s heart sped up. Chika was still smiling, and her eyes fluttered closed as her lips got closer and closer. Riko’s eyes slammed shut, her heart beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Oh god, she had no idea how to do this. What if they bumped into each other? What if Riko was bad at it? What if she-

Chika’s lips pressed against hers.

The sensation overwrote all of her worries. Chika’s lips were soft, and wonderful, and… Riko couldn’t even describe it. She pressed back into Chika, savouring the feeling, not caring if she was doing it right or if she was silly or anything, until finally she pulled away for breath.

As her lungs filled with air again, she felt her worries rushing back. Had Chika enjoyed it? What if Riko had screwed up? Was she supposed to be saying something now? Did Chika think she hadn’t enjoyed it?

“I wanna do it again.”

“Eh?” Riko said, blinking.

Chika’s hand slammed against the wall next to her, and Riko’s heart thudded. It was just like one of her manga.

“I wanna kiss you again,” Chika said, her eyes blazing with passion. Reaching up with her other arm, she cupped Riko’s chin in her hand, and Riko melted. She wasn’t even sure how she managed to stay standing.

“O-Okay,” she said, dazed, only half believing it was even real. Chika’s lips were on hers again, and she could have sworn she was in heaven. Time ceased to have any meaning, and her head was empty and full of fuzz, drowning in bliss.

When Chika pulled away again, Riko slid down the wall into a heap, grinning stupidly.

“Eh? Riko? Are you okay? Riko? Riko?!”

* * *

Surprisingly, Yoshiko hadn’t dressed as full on Yohane. When You walked into the cafe, Yoshiko was sitting nervously at a table in cute outfit that was a lot… tamer than her usual style. It was still black, though. She was still Yoshiko.

“Hi Yoshiko,” You said, sitting across from Yoshiko.

“Hello,” Yoshiko said stiffly.

You smiled. It was kind of cute how serious Yoshiko was all this. She tried so hard.

“Don’t be so nervous, it’s fine,” You said, reaching out a hand to lay on Yoshiko’s. Yoshiko bushed.

Despite Yoshiko’s nerves, things went fairly well.

Until You mentioned the dream.

She’d yawned at one point, and Yoshiko had looked upset, so she was quick to reassure her that she wasn’t bored, she just hadn’t slept well. And then Yoshiko asked why, of course. And You had ended up telling Yoshiko about the dream.

“I had a dream like that a few times,” Yoshiko said.

You blinked. “Oh, right, you did mention something about that when you were asking about Chika’s dream. Didn’t you say you’d almost tracked down the other side?”

Yoshiko blushed. “W-Well… I tracked it down to a house…” she said evasively.

“Oh? What house?”

“I didn’t recognise it,” Yoshiko said, but she still seemed cagey.

“Oh, so it was no one you knew?” You asked. She felt a little disappointed, and she scolded herself. It was just a dream, for heaven’s sake. There was no need to over exaggerate its importance.

“W-Well… that’s not… exactly true…” Yoshiko said. “I-It’s nothing important, right? It’s just a dream!”

“Well, sure, but…” You tried to sound casual. Honestly, Yoshiko was right. It _was_ just a dream. She shouldn’t care. But something about the dream seemed… abnormal. No matter what she told Chika and tried to tell herself, she couldn’t shake the idea that the dreams were important. “I’m a little curious, since me and Chika both had dreams like that.”

“I-I… I went to their house later and recognised it…”

You paused for a  moment.

“...Did you, by any chance, have a reaction to that?” she said carefully, a suspicion sprouting in her mind.

“Well, wouldn’t you if you saw a house that you’d never seen before that showed up in your dream?” Yoshiko asked defensively.

“Like… saying that there was a powerful magic user there?” You asked.

Yoshiko slumped. “If you knew the whole time why did you make me say it?” she complained.

You held up her hands apologetically.  “Sorry, Yoshiko.” Despite saying that, she couldn’t get the smile to leave her face. The string lead to her house. In Yoshiko’s dream, she was her soulmate. It shouldn’t mean anything, but it still made her happy.

That was when You realized it. It really didn’t matter where the string in her own dream lead. Yoshiko was her girlfriend. If the string lead to Chika, then You would cut it. That wasn’t what she wanted, no matter what fate decided.

She reached out a hand and gently held Yoshiko’s, eliciting a soft “eek”. “I’m glad you had that dream,” she said softly, and Yoshiko looked at her curiously.

“It was what got you to send that letter, right? When I told you about what the red string was?”

Yoshiko nodded, and You’s smiled widened.

“Then without that, we might have never started going out.”

Yoshiko turned bright red and her gaze locked to the table. But she managed to hold on to You’s had and squeeze.

“I’m glad too,” she mumbled.

* * *

Chika awoke on a beach again.

It was twilight, and the sounds of the city were nowhere to be found.

It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight. It was, in fact, one she’d seen plenty of times before.

It was a dream that had started more than a year ago. At the time, she’d been lost, and the dream had offered her something to strive for.

Now, she’d found a place for herself. She’d found new friends, and passion that she wouldn’t have ever thought she could have felt back then.

And she’d found more than that.

She didn’t need to look to her side to know that there was something next to her. Silently, she reached out and took their hand, and they squeezed her hand back affectionately.

The two of them stood there and watched the horizon together, hands entwined.

And on their pinkies, linking them together, was a fine red thread.


End file.
